Nigeria Ratifies Single African Air Transport Market Protocol

Nigeria formally ratified the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) protocol on 8 November 2019, committing the country to liberalise air services with fellow signatory states across the continent.

Reciprocal Traffic Rights

Under the protocol, Nigeria agreed to grant reciprocal traffic rights to airlines registered in other SAATM member states, removing some of the bilateral restrictions that had historically limited direct intra-African routes.

Industry Reaction

Airline industry groups had lobbied for ratification for several years, arguing that liberalised African air travel would reduce fares and cut journey times that often required routing through Europe or the Gulf for intra-continental trips.